Church Membership

Church Membership at NCC

Church Membership Matters

Northpark Christian Church is a welcoming place for those seeking to hear the message of Jesus Christ. While proclaiming the Gospel is important, that alone does not make us a church. What makes us a church is that we are a “body of believers” — a family of “Christ-followers” who are striving to grow and become all that God intends for us to be.

Why we have a membership

Membership is a valuable statement of commitment and accountability. While your profession of faith in Jesus Christ is a personal declaration of salvation and Lordship, church membership represents a commitment to fellow believers.

Membership acknowledges the value Jesus places on the church

The concept of membership is biblical. While the term church member is not used, the concept is implicit throughout the New Testament. Believers clearly identified themselves with a specific local body and were challenged to become devoted participants.

We also know that Jesus Christ loved and died for the church and scripture refers to it as His bride, indicating a special relationship with the church. And now, Christ works through the church, the unified body of believers, to accomplish His kingdom purpose here on earth.

Membership makes a statement of support to church leaders

Membership is valuable to the leaders of the church as they seek to fulfill their God-given task of shepherding and maturing the body.

Northpark Christian Church by its very design, attracts seekers, observers, and guests. We hope that this will always be the case, but at some point it is important to identify those who truly comprise the committed core of individuals that can be counted on to advance the mission and purpose of the church.

Membership benefits the individual

Experience shows that church membership benefits the individual by providing a place of identity within a core of like-minded and supportive believers. These communities are committed to care for and serve one another in the biblical example of Christian love. It is a biblical model that surrounds each member in a loving and caring fellowship.

Membership sets us apart

Church membership provides the body of believers an opportunity to reflect the character of commitment in an uncommitted culture. Christians are to be a light and a moral conscience to secular society. Church membership says to our culture that the values of service, unity and brotherhood, under God, are beneficial to families and the community.

In a culture where commitment is no longer highly valued, recognized membership is an important step that moves each of us out of the vague clouds of our good intentions and into the clear light of committed participation. It presents a challenge to publicly affirm a commitment to Christ and to a specific local body. In this sense, membership is a significant and defining moment in one’s lifelong discipleship journey.

Defining membership

How do you exactly define a church member? The Bible actually describes two kinds of membership. Membership in the Body of Christ.

Scripture is full of references to the once-and-for-all union with Christ and His body, which happens at the instant of your conversion. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 2:13-22; 4:3-6; Colossians 1:13-22) Membership in the Local Church.

The Bible also urges those in the body of Christ to continue growing by becoming participating members in a specific local assembly. (Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:25-31; 14:12,26; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Timothy 3:14-15)

You may be a member of several different local church bodies during the course of your lifetime while maintaining a permanent membership in Christ’s universal church. We cannot see the invisible bond of permanent membership, but we can identify those who are the participating members here at Northpark Christian Church